Everybody Hurts
by Tsaiko
Summary: Sometimes everything is wrong. Sometimes everyone needs to cry. And sometimes, even the strongest and most carefree of people hurt.


Everyone Hurts: A digimon 02 fic by Tsaiko 

**Everyone Hurts by Tsaiko**

Rating: PG-13 for language 

The disclaimer dance: I do not own Digimon, pretend to own Digimon, or think I own Digimon. Digimon and all its characters are copyright of their repsective owners which is not me. I am not making any money off of this fanfic. It for my (and others) sick amusement. 

Let's make this simple. I have never seen the Japanese version of Digimon. I know nothing about it. All names, personalities, and places are derived from the dub shown on Fox. So please don't email me correcting me on how Davis _really_ acts, or what Ken's _real_ title is. I don't care. However, if you want to email me and tell me what a great writer I am, I'll be more than happy to recieve it ^_^. 

Because sometimes, it's easier to write about someone else's pain than your own.

* * *

They say the Digital World can be manipulated by the mind. That was why a Chosen Child could enter a Gate wearing in the real world wearing one thing, and leave the Gate wearing another. The Digital World could change and evolve as well as any Digimon given enough emotion and will power. So when Davis stepped into a world of driving rain and howling winds, snarling thunder and violent lightning, it was an ominous reflection of the chaos in his mind. 

_I hate them. I hate them. I hate them._

The stumble through the Gate, that hesitation that always existed when moving from one world to the next, was so brief it was almost non-existent. Rain soaked through Davis's clothes immediately chilling his skin. If there had been something solid close by -a rock, a tree, maybe even a Digimon- it would have been on the receiving end of Davis's fist. As it was, the only way for Davis to express his anger was to throw his head back and scream at the sky. 

_How could they do this to me? I thought... Hell, it doesn't matter what I thought. I trusted them, and all they did was hurt me._

Lightning jumped from cloud to cloud, its brilliance lining everything in white fire before the world was once again plunged into darkness. The scream had done nothing to relieve the emotions that were slowly tearing Davis apart. So he began to run. His sneakers found easy purchase on the water soaked earth and grass. Soon Davis's world was reduced to the simple act of placing one foot in front of the other. 

_I don't ever want to see them again. Not ever. They treat me like I'm a child, then complain when i don't act as they supposedly do. Why can't they fucking make up their minds?_

Davis wasn't sure where he was going. In reality, it didn't matter. His lungs ached with the effort of providing his body with enough oxygen. His heart pounded against the confines of his ribcage. The sound of the blood running through his body was loud enough to drown out all but the deepest rolls of thunder. He started up an incline without even slowing, though the muscles in his thighs and calves protested the added strain. 

_I'll show them. I'll show them all. Make them sorry for what they did to me. I... I won't stop running until i have a heart attack! Yeah. Then I'd bet they'd feel really bad._

In the back of his mind, it registered that the ground beneath his feet had become the more compacted earth of a well traveled path. Instinctively, Davis continued on this route over the more dangerous one of rock and slick grass. Every step squelched, every breath began to burn, but he ignored the little discomforts in favor of the release sheer physical effort gave him. 

_Or even better, I'll simply stay in the Digital World forever. They can't force me to go back. I can play with Veemon all day and live out of the random vending machines I find. No stupid school. No stupid rules. Then they'll never see me again. That will show them. They'll wish they'd been nicer to me once I'm not around._

Each bolt of lightning revealed that something was keeping pace with him. Davis could see the movement out of the corner of his eye. But he never turned his head to look. The trail his feet had found was getting steeper, mud and fatigue making the going more treacherous. More than once uncertain footing nearly sent Davis to his feet. Each time he managed to catch himself before his knees hit the ground. 

_Why? Why do they always have to make fun of me? Why am I always the butt of the joke? Why can't I just get them to trust I know what I'm doing? Why do they always have to misunderstand what I do? Or what I say? Or what I mean?_

Suddenly the trail leveled and broaden, become a plateau that over looked a series of canyons. Davis tried to stop as a bolt of lightning revealed a sudden drop off before him. Sneakers dug into the ground as he managed to barely halt his headlong flight. Then winds were stronger up here and he had to lean forward to avoid getting blown backwards. Adrenaline still pumped through his system, making him shaky on his feet. Behind him he could hear large footsteps approach him through the mud. 

_Why do I have to be so stupid that I can't make anyone see what I mean? Am I really that much of an idiot? Why can't I just have something go right for me? Why do I always have to mess it up? Sometimes I think everyone would be better off if I was someone else. Someone smarter and stronger and better able to be around people. Someone people could look up to instead of just laughing at._

There was a stitch in his side, a sudden pain that radiated up under his ribcage with each breath. Davis braced his hands against his thighs, leaning forward in an effort to keep standing through the pain. His breathing was strained from the run. It seemed to Davis that he could actually feel the lactic acid pooling in his legs muscles. His own sweat left him with feeling of grittiness that no amount of rain could wash away. Somehow, his skin felt both flushed and chilled at the same time. 

_I wish they would just leave me alone. I wish everyone would just go away and leave me alone._

"Davis." The voice that spoke his name was deeper and more gravelly than Veemon's. He recognized it instantly. Raidramon. The evolved Digimon had been pacing him since he'd started up the mountain. He stood now beside his partner on the cliff top, flanks heaving ever so slightly from the effort of keeping up with Davis. 

"I hate them. I really do. They think everything I do is some kind of big joke. They don't take anything I do seriously. Why can't I be serious for once? Why can't I be someone other than me?" Davis demanded. The Digimon dropped his head so brown eyes could look into equally brown eyes. 

"Because if you were someone else, you wouldn't be with me." Davis's breath caught on the words. There was a tightness in his chest that had nothing to do with the run he'd just made. 

"But why can't they just leave me alone? Why can't they just let me be?" 

"They love you Davis. They're worried about you and they love you," Raidramon answered. Davis shook his head vehemently in denial, yet he knew it was true. "I love you, Davis. I'll always be here for you." 

"I know. I love you to." Davis slid his arms around Raidramon's neck, feeling the muscle beneath short blue fur. Then he did the one thing he couldn't do in front of those who had hurt him. 

He cried. 

* * *

Everyone Hurts   
By Tsaiko   
_© 2002, Tsaiko_


End file.
